Rosterman

I see May fulfilling the function of a...Swarzak. Still getting 100+ innings in the season. Able to move into the rotation if necessary. What it ultimately does to his career...starter or bullpen...is how he performs. He may become the lights out closer of the future with Perkins moving back into setup as he ages (or becomes tradebait). Right now, if May wants a guaranteed roster spot, he HAS to work out of the bullpen. Nolasco, no matter how bad he pitches, will be given more opportunities than he deserves to fail. Milone is a lefty. Duffey will start in the wings at AAA. Rogers may make it as a Duensing replacement (when Duensing was long relief). Again, if May WANTS to pitch in the majors, today, he has to do it out of the bullpen!

And, of course, you can never have too much pitching. Names that may be pencilled in for the majors MAY end up injured (or not work out) -- Graham, Pressley for example. The Twins could suddenly have many outfielders break down (that hasn't happened, right?). When you look at the current names on the Rochester roster, and add in, say, 10 names from the 40-man, you see that team is pretty set now. I find seeing who gets jobs and invites anywhere exciting off-season news. Hey, Garrett Jones just signed with Japan! Good for him!

They brought in quite a few last year. Some like Brayan Villarreal and Wilfredo Ledesma didn't make it thru spring training. Some like Reynaldo Rodriguez, Marcus Knecht and Sharon Wilkerson are back this year. A couple made the major leagues: Brad Boyer, Doug Bernier, Eric Fryer, Shane Robinson, Aaron Thompson. Other names that came from free agency were Carlos Paulino (back), Brock Peterson, Michael Bowden, Nick Anderson (still around) Omar Bencomo, Loek Van Mil (still here), Scott Atchison, Allan de san Miguel, Agnes Diaz, Jose Martinez, Wiklin Ramirez, Ryan Wheeler, Jose Vellz, Luke Westphal (still around) and Heiker Meneses. And the Twins grabbed Greg Peavey in the Rule 5 minor league draft and he is still in the system.

Yeah, I wonder if we are going to regret the loss of Hendricks. Of course, many of us were sad that Parmalee was let go. And some even cried over the trades of Eddie Morlan (instead of Rincon) and Billy Bullock. But you sign guys for depth. No one says they have to make it out of spring training.

Keep this in the minor league signing department! That was what it was created for... http://twinsdaily.com/topic/20753-minor-league-signings/page-3 And nothing wrong with some left-handed depth. These minor league free agents still have to earn a roster spot and many are cut in spring training.

It will be interesting to see not only Sano, but how Buxton and Berrios fit into the rich longterm contract picture. At this point, the guys would have to dominate! But Sano could be the next Ortiz, in the least! If he wants to play to age 40, watch out. Then, again, what will Mauer's NEXT contract cost the Twins if Joe wants to play out his career with the Twins and to, say, age 40!

The Twins are pretty well set, really. They just have to weigh how bad they want Sano AND Arcia in the corners, and it would be nice to have a proven vet in the bullpen (you left out Logan Darnell as a potential starter or bullpen guy). The Twins will have backup depth at catcher, 1st base, middle infield, and outfield at AAA Rochester. They will have 1-2 arms to call upon for rotation spots. They will hopefully have too many guys (not on the 40-man) that they want at the major eaegue level sometime in 2016 for the bullpen. Again, the biggest issue is possibly outfield defense. Would you put Sano at third and Plouffe in the outfield (bring back Cuddyer)! Santana and/or Nunez as a bench infielder is okay. I imagine Vargas will start at Rochester, again. I hope Park gets some rotation time at first with Mauer DHing.

Hicks was soon to be ano utfielder without a job. He was the underdog coming into sprint training. Yes, he could've opened the year in centerfield. Yes, he could be a corner outfielder. Are the Twins better taking a flyer on Buxton and Arcia, to name two, in those positions? I think yes. Hicks had limited production. He showed enough spark that his trade value had increased. But he is soon to be arbitration eligible. He either plays regularly in 2016 and has a breakout year, or is a continued flop and the you have to ask yourself about going to arbitration with a fourth outfielder who was a number one prospect. Hopefully he pulls it all together. But in the organizational depth chart, he was tradable. Considering the playrs on the current Twins roster than other teams want and the Twins are willing to trade, Ryan did goo. And hopefully centerfield won't be a weakness in 2016 with Buxton, Benson, Santana and Rosario all in the mix. Buxton will takeover, or be given every opportunity to takeover, sometime next year. He should be a keeper!

You can argue the need to keep Dean? You can argue the necessity for a third back-up catcher who you will ultimately flip/flop off the 40-man roster anyways (shades of Eric Fryer). You have a couple of arms protected because they were injured and could've been grabbed and stored on a DL by another team. Yoiu have Nunez and Fien, both of whom should've been cut and brought back for less than arbitration, unless the market is so dang huge for them that you made a mistake for a guy who is basically bench fodder and another who no one demanded of you the past couple of summers. You have Logan Darnell. Of course, Jones still has to make the 25-man roster. He ahs to pitch halfway decently in spring training. Otherwise he comes back to the Twins. Maybe we can hope for that. But two years in a row we lose guys that you can pretty much write in as being grabbed, because we don't have room for them in the inn.

Spring training. The Twins still need to increase, or see value (Plouffe...teams know the Twins MIGHT need to get rid of him). The Twins also have to really evaluate their needs. Do they go with established and dole out a contract, or keep moving on prospects. Good to read that they are passing on Duensing and Boyer, at least on the 40-man level. If the guys can't find a job, they can still egt a chance and who knows then. Ask yourself this: who on the Twins roster does another team truly want? Why would the Twins move, say, Perkins or Dozier, for example. What prospects are other teams actually watching? Probably those we would not move for even a Fernandez. Ryan will sign at least one free agent for the 40-man and make a roster move. I imagine there will be a few minor league free/ invite to spring training additions. But until you figure out what to do with Vargas and Arcia, for example, there isn't a lot of roster movement (which again calls out "why bother with Nunex and Fien!"

Yeah, a team could take a flyer on Rodriguez stashing him and hoping he becomes Santanaish. But doubtful. Wimmers and Bard would most likely not stick for the season. Better served having another minor league year under their belt (and then the Twins can give them consideration). Same with Wheeler. Any team that wanted him could have had him when the Twins removed him from the 40-man, and saved the fee. Would Jones get picked? The Twins think not. Are there a dozen players out there more seserving? That is the question.

Unless you are blown away by an offer, would wait until spring training to see how things iron out between Sano and Arcia as outfielders, a place for Danny Santana, a need another team has for a third baseman, worth of Kennys Vargas. But I will want to see decisions made: Best five starters come north, even if one is May. Milone and Nolasco need to earn their roster spots. Short leash to Rosario and Santana and maybe a tad longer leash to Sano, if you still have suitable abckup (like Plouffe) in your mix. Spring training will be telling. This winter, about all the Twins need to do is get one solid reliever, possibly from the left side. They have to write down their short term projections for a few prospects (Arcia, Vargas, Polanco) and be willing to deal with organizational depth sooner rather than later...if you need to get that missing piece look at guys starting at Ft. Myers and Chattanooga who are, technically, behind others in the depth chart.

It is a sad choice. Both pitchers need to pitch if either is with the Twins to hopefully increase trade value, which menas someone will sit, be it Milone and May in the bullpen of Duffey in the minors. That's the long (and short) of it. Thinking them longterm members of the team...nah! At this point, moving Noalsco to simply allow another longer term alternative to pitch for the team (be it May, Milone, Duffey or Berrios) would be my choice over giving any innings to Noalsco. But it comes at a price. You either have to outright pay a team to take him off your hands, and the hopes being that you might get one or two back of the roster prospects at best. If you must absorb a corresponding contract, maybe something like Papelbon, where you have a need on the current roster. But Shields, no. You are just replacing Noalsco. Not getting rid of Noalsco.

Yeah, can afford to overspend on at least one arm. And a reliever can come and go, again depending on the price and the state of your team. Yes, the Twins DO have prospects up the wazoo, so to speak, probably better than any arm in their current bullpen. They have to groom a future closer, and in the salary structures, probably another shortly after that. Trevor May could find a superstar role as a reliever if he so chooses. Glen Perkins, for all his ups and few downs, is not the end game in gold. He best future role IS probably as a setup man as he ages...although (salary offerings) will keep him in the closer role, or signing with another team for one of those 3-year $30 million contracts in the future...as a setup guy...NOT with the Twins, sadly, though. So the Twins should overspend on a longterm aging lefty (who better be close to lights out). Can they play the right-handed field, or do they need another guy and forget about Tonkin/Pressly/Graham and whomever for now and forever. Press and Graham can still go back to the minors, so that is a blessing. But I'm not sure the answer to a contending team IS Darnell, O'Rourke or even Rogers/Dean in the bullpen. Maybe one of those guys can fill a space, but not two.

"gets savvy vets." That's a good one. Possibly cheap (although we sometimes overpay a bit) and available is a better description. Of course, the past few seasons the Twins have had to lobby for players that would want to play here. At least now the time might look a little more enticing and we might actually sign a savvy vet.

It's nice to see some teams being proactive in improving their rosters and/or upgrading from players that might be considered also rans. The off season doesn't necessarily win divisions, but it creates excitement for selling tickets, keeping your team in the public eye, and giving one hope. You can always hope to improve by spending money or trading for select pieces. It's sitting with failed pieces and doing too much rummage sale buys that discourages this fan the most.

The Twins have many questions. I can argue about moving Sano to the outfield if he may be the third baseman of the future. I think it is just postering to keep value for Plouffe. I would rather move Plouffe to the outfield and then out-of-town (if his salary becomes to overbearing). Yes, Park is a suspect rookie, as is Buxton, and possibly still Sano. Centerfield is an issue. Can Rosario play there if push comes to shove. Moreso than where Rosario and Sano play, where can we put Arcia. I think we do need to give him one BIG chance. He is a player to be reckoned with. The joy is that we do have Kepler in the wings, maybe Walker. Benson is around (as well as Wilkerson and Palka) for emergency depth. The outfield possibilities are high...notice I said possibilities. It could also be weaker than alst year's bullpen if the soph slumps hits some people. We need something in the bullpen. It can survive patchwork, thank you. But I would like to see something, or keep my fingers crossed that the young promising guys from last year's prospect list become young promising guys again. There is some space on the 40-man. You always have some. Hicks, a couple of pitchers, there are at least three working spots and another couple that could open come spring training end, for sure. I'm waiting to see how the Twins market the team for 2016, to get more season tickets sold (remember, Hunter helped a lot last year). People may think the second place finish was spectacular and the last day playoff hunt wonderful, but the reality is that THERE ARE STILL many questions. Some could be solved by simply eating salary and moving on, others by not offering spots to replacement value guys. And then we have Joe Mauer!

I am still uncomfortable on how the starting rotation will holdup against the others in the division. We have some solid arms, but really need a #1. The bullpen, right now, is still a shambles. My hope is that the rotation will get us into the 7th inning more often than not. You worry about the soph slump of Rosario and where do we play Sano. Mauer!

Just don't do a guaranteed $750,000 contract like they did that one year with what's-his-name who blew his arm out in his first session.

Boy, the bullpen list of names is pretty...lame. Throw in May and or Milone/Noalsco from the rotation. You still have some questionables that no one else probably deems a major league MUST (Darnell, O'Rourke) ... a couple of Rule 5 pickups that can still go up and down and one of which is an emergency starter candidate (wait, we have May) -- Graham/Pressly. You have Tonkin because..... You have Meyer being too valuable to cut loose. You kept Dean. You kept Rogers because he gives you left-handed starting depth or COULD be a long-arm out of the bullpen next season. You have a couple of guys coming off surgery that you didn't want to gamble losing, although don't see them jumping to the Big Leagues fulltime in 2016 (like at least a half-dozen other arms. possibly ahead of them in the system, could also do). And then you have Fien, who I fear could be Burton 2.0. Fien had good trade value in 2015, but didn't go anywhere. He was solid, but also unspectuacular at times, in 2015 -- and no one was calling his name in 2015. For all intent and purpose, Jepsen replaced him in the bullpen forthe next season. We are still waiting to see if we lose anyone of importance in the Rule 5 (Jones) and then we can really cry about a couple of Twins decisions. But it will be interesting to see if the Twins do sign some arms for the bullpen in 2015 and who goes elsewhere. I don't expect Boyer to be back just to pitch at Rochester, but have to see what demand there is for his services. I mean, Aaron Thompson came back!

Wonder if he even looked at the Twins offer of two years and $10 million..... good for Mike. He got two years to try to get his stuff back at a decent dollar figure. Looking forwardto having those five games against him with our new improved batting order.

So that is what happened to Mauer, too!

I think the point of argument is NOT that Nunez and Fien aren't worth the arbitration salary. It is more that the Twins MIGHT be able to do more with two vacant roster spots, rather than having to go the arbitration route with these two guys, and for the money involved, they could probably find suitable replacements from the field of free agents or (jn the end) a home for a prospect. Too late to add Jones to the bullpen list? If we lose Jones in the Rule 5 and he stays with a team, I'm going to feel minutely pissed that we kept Fien and his salary. Yes, noth Nunez and Fien CAN be worth keeping, but they are on the edge of the roster and not needed.

Heck the Twins could also sign Joe Nathan and Johann Santana, preferably to minor league deals.

Who would be betetr at third, Plouffe or Sano? Hich of the two would have the better arm from either side of the outfield? I don't see arcia as being just a fourth outfielder/bench bat, but unless the Twins can showcase him in some ways, he ahs no value as tradebait unless packaged with someone (even Nolasco?). Rosario could be Santana in his second year. But, that is what spring training is for, right?